St. Nemesion

During the persecution of Decius, Nemesion, an Egyptian, was indicted for theft and arrested at Alexandria. He easily exposed the perjury against him, but was then condemned for being Christian. As punishment, he was scourged; and afterward condemned to be burned alive with robbers and criminals.

Standing near the prefect’s tribunal were four soldiers and a person who were all Christians. They encouraged a confessor getting tortured on the rack to courage and holy fervor. As a result, the five men were brought before a judge, who condemned them to be beheaded.

Heron, Ater, and Isidore, all Egyptians, with Dioscorus, a youth only fifteen years old, suffered similar tortures. Arrested at Alexandria, they persevered in courageous, selfless love in the torture which followed their sentencing. Their limbs were rend with instruments of torture; their limbs were then disjointed; and lastly they were burnt alive.

The immortal souls of all the martyrs, who accepted death in love without desires for self, are crowned with glory in heaven by the God of Love Himself. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.” “Whoever loses his life for my sake will save it,” says the Lord. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil, for Thou art with me.”

Readings December 19th, 2020